Secret Desires
by Dragon of Light
Summary: Since she left Shinjuku people Ruki knows are being murdered, and she's the main suspect. Can she, with the help of Ryo, find the real killer before its too late? Rated for violence.
1. Say It Isn’t So!

Disclaimer: I own nothing...not yet, but someday I might.

A/n: This is my fist attempt at an angsty horror fic, so please be patient with me. I hope you like it!

Also, the high rating is only because of the graphic violence.

BTW this has nothing to do with the _Young Love _or _No One Cares_/ _Project of Failure: Infinitymon _timelines.

Chapter 1: Say It Isn't So!

It was your average beautiful day. The crisp spring air was quite refreshing after the cold loneliness that winter always seemed to bring. According to the local weatherman there was no sign of rain in the forecast, which was good since another heavy rain like they'd been having lately would most likely cause a big flood...

But Ruki cared about none of that as she stared blankly out the window of her room. Today was going to be another "wonderful" photo shoot, compliments of her mother. The voice of her mother's cheerful call echoed through the room and pulled her from the window.

"Ruki, dear, are you ready to go?" Rumiko asked her daughter.

"Yeah, I guess so." Sighed the sixteen-year-old, but her mother seemed not to notice.

As they drove down the road in her mom's black car, Ruki stared sadly out the window at the other children heading to school. She even saw some of the other Tamers laughing and talking as they went on their way.

Most anyone would think that any normal teenager would be happy to not go to school, but then again Ruki wasn't your average teenage girl. Ruki hated shopping, dresses, and almost anything else that most "normal" girls enjoyed doing. Most of all, though, she hated going to photo shoots!

It wasn't that she thought of herself as too ugly to be a model; she just hated the hot lights and the stupid comments the photographer would make as she stood there.

It didn't help that she had no one to talk to either. Her grandmother was ill and in the hospital, and she hadn't talked to the other Tamers since shortly after Juri's funeral two years ago. 

Ruki thought back to that day, the day Juri's father found her laying on her bed with her wrists slit. 

Nobody was really sure why she'd go and do such a thing. In fact, just the day before she'd done it, she'd been discussing with Takato about talking their parents into getting married between school years instead of after they graduated. Juri said her father would be the one who'd need the most convincing to let them go along with it.

"I wonder how Takato's doing, after all, Juri was his first love." She said to herself.

Ruki looked over at her mother to see if she'd heard what she said. But Rumiko hadn't stopped blabbing about some modeling tips, or whatever, since they left the house. 

She then remembered the argument they had the last time she'd told her she didn't want to be a model:

__

"Don't be silly, Ruki! Anyone with natural beauty like us would be crazy not to be a model." Rumiko had said.

"But mom, I...I want to be a singer, and I want to finish high school."

"Don't be silly Ruki! Singers don't make money, and when you have looks you don't need to finish high school. I never did." Rumiko boasted causing Ruki to shut her mouth after that.

That had been only a few weeks ago.

When they reached the agency Ruki stayed in the car as her mother went inside. Ruki figured that maybe her mother wouldn't notice her absence, but much to her disappointment Rumiko came right back out.

"Ruki, dear, get out of the car. Everyone's waiting for you." Rumiko cheerfully said, seemingly oblivious to the disobedient look her daughter was giving her.

"No." Ruki answered and crossed her arms.

"Ruki, get out of the car."

"No."

"Ruki," Rumiko said through clenched teeth, "don't make a scene! Just get out of the car."

Ruki knew that she'd have to be the one to give in because of her mother's stubbornness. She laughed slightly at the thought as she recognized that same trait in her own personality, though not quite as strong.

"Fine, but I refuse to do any stinking modeling!" Ruki said finally giving in.

Rumiko smiled broadly and seemed to skip through the doors in glee.

In the studio she watched as her mother gladly modeled for the camera doing whatever the photographer wanted.

"She'd probably pose naked for him too if he asked." Ruki mumbled to herself.

"Ruki, dear, it's your turn. Go get changed." Rumiko said

"I told you I'd only come in if I didn't have to do it!"

"What? You never said that!" Her mother said innocently. "Ruki you have to do this! Everyone wants to see you model."

Ruki angrily glared at her mother. She knew what her mother was trying to pull. She tried it every time. The other people in the studio could only watch as a fight broke out between mother and daughter.

"Stop playing innocent! I told you I didn't want to model!" Ruki started to yell, "I want to sing. I want to finish school, because I want to know I can get a job if I fail at singing."

"I've told you before, singing gets you nowhere!"

"I could say the same thing about modeling!" Ruki screamed. "After all what are you going to do when you start to get wrinkles and gray hair, especially when you have no diploma or anything like that? Who would **want** to hire a useless forgotten nobody who's so full of herself about her faded looks? Who would want you around?" 

Rumiko stood in shock at her daughter's outburst. Not even bothering to see the effect it had, Ruki stormed out of the studio.

After Rumiko was able to think again, she got in the car and went to find Ruki. But she wasn't at home, nor was she at the hospital with her grandmother who'd been sick lately.

"Mom, Ruki made a big scene and ran away from the photo shoot! I was so embarrassed!" She whined to the old woman in the hospital bed, eating supper.

"Did you ever think that modeling wasn't what she wanted to do?" Seiko, Rumiko's mom, asked.

"She says it all the time, but I don't think she means it. She doesn't know what's waiting for her if she doesn't do this."

"And what would that be?"

"She'd have to do physical labor! I just can't see her doing that kind of stuff."

"That may be, but you have to let Ruki make her own decisions."

"Maybe you're right mom. Thanks." Rumiko said sadly, and left.

It had tuned night by the time Rumiko left the hospital, and the parking lot was deserted. The heels of her shoes clicked lightly against the pavement. Perhaps if it had been better lit she would've seen someone coming up behind her. She didn't even hear the person's shoes make a noise. She turned around just in time to feel a hand close in on her neck and watch as her attacker stabbed a knife into her stomach.

She wasn't sure who it was in the dimly lit parking lot, and it didn't help that her head was being held back or the pain in her stomach from the knife wound. All she could tell through was whoever-it-was had a ponytail.

"W-who are you?" She managed to choke out.

Rumiko saw the person smile evilly.

She tensed up as she felt something sickeningly warm and slimy was tightened around her neck in place of the hand.

Rumiko was then pushed up against a burned out light pole. She felt the same slimy thing being wrapped around the rest of her body, then her mouth was stuffed with it. The taste was awful and she nearly gagged on it.

"Do human intestines taste good?" The figure's voice whispered in her ear.

The next morning that same parking lot was full of flashing police cars and police. The sergeant on the case walked up to a group of officers surrounding a blond woman gagged and bound to a pole by her own intestines.

"Did you find anything to identify her?" He asked a near by officer.

"According to the driver's license we found on the body her name was Makino Rumiko." The officer answered back as he shuttered. "What a terrible way to die."

The sergeant nodded in agreement.

"Anything else about Makino-san?" He asked.

"She was a fashion model at a nearby agency, she's divorced and has a teenage daughter. According to the records we found on her, both her and her daughter live with her mother, who is currently in this hospital. We've been trying to reach the daughter, but we're not having any luck."

"According to the agency, both Makino-sama and her daughter were there yesterday and a fight broke out between them." Another officer piped in.

"Hmm. So you think that the daughter did it? Any evidence?"

"There was some foreign hair on the victim, but that's it." The first officer stated. "Also, her right index finger is missing."

"Just like in the murder that occurred three days ago. See if it matches the hairs found on the other victim match those found here."

Even if they searched all of Tokyo they wouldn't have found her. Before the sun had even risen that day, she'd set out on a boat to Kochi on the Island of Shikoku from the Tokyo Bay.

Now that the sun had risen, Ruki leaned against the boat's railing and watched as the shoreline passed by.

"Hey there Sunshine, why so blue?" A familiar voice behind her asked.

"What are you doing here Ryo?" She asked whirling around.

He was a little confused at first as to how she knew his name then understood.

"I hardly recognized you Ruki-chan. You've grown up, and if I may say so, you've gotten prettier."

"That's what happens when you don't see a person for six years. And **don't**call me pretty!" She said taking a seat on a nearby bench. Ryo sat next to her.

"Well, I've been really busy. After all, with all the school I missed while I was in the Digital World I had to work twice as hard to not get held back." 

"You never answered my question; what are you doing here?"

"A couple days ago my dad was murdered."

"What?! Why?"

"Don't know. But anyways, I'd gone to visit him and found him in his recliner with his stomach sliced open. Whoever did it also cut off his index finger and took it with them. Blood was everywhere..."

"That's disgusting! Why would someone want to kill someone then keep one of their fingers?"

"I don't know. Anyways I was searching through the house after the police left and found a letter in his bedroom addressed to me." He pulled the paper from his pocket. "I guess he wrote this to try and figure out how to tell me that I'm adopted, or that's what it says. It also says that I have a cousin who lives over in Kochi. I'm on my way there to see him. Why are you headed there? Are you on a trip with your mom or something?"

"No." She said quietly, then decided she might as well tell him "I'm running away from her. She's trying to force me to be a model like she is, but I...I want to sing. Plus, I want to go back to school. My mother pulled me out."

"I see. Will you sing for me Ruki-chan?"

Ruki looked at him then looked away quickly.

"N-not right now. Maybe...maybe later." She stammered.

Just then the boat pulled into the docks at Kochi, and all the passengers disembarked. Ruki and Ryo were the last ones off.

"Hey Ryo! 'M glad you made it." Called a boy with tan skin and dark hair.

"Do I know you?" Ryo asked.

"Oh, sorry about that, it's me, your cousin, Kai."

"Hey there Kai." He turned to Ruki. "Do you have anywhere to stay? I only ask because I don't think my cousin would mind if you-"

"I'll find a place, but thanks." She said and disappeared into the crowd at the harbor.

"Come on Ryo. You're probably tired, let's go to my place." Kai said picking up a couple of Ryo's bags.

Ruki went to an apartment building that had an ad in the newspaper she'd bought shortly after she'd gotten off the boat.

"Excuse me sir, but where might I find Takahashi-sama?" Ruki asked an older man who'd just left that same building.

"Who's askin'? The man replied in a gruff voice.

"Makino Ruki." Ruki answered. "I'm interested in the furnished apartment you have in the paper."

The man looked her over and after a while he decided.

"Do you have enough money to rent it?"

Ruki nodded and pulled out the money and handed it to the man.

He took it and counted it. Then went back inside the building. A few minutes later he returned with a set of keys.

"It's number 21, but first the rules: no late-night parties, I don't want to find anything stained when I come to inspect every-so-often, and if I get too many complaints about you, yer outta here. Understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Then here are the keys to yer apartment."

Ruki smiled and went to check out the apartment. It was rather nice, but nothing compared to home.

She ran her fingers over the rough green fabric that the couch was made of and looked at the kitchen. It was small but cozy.

The sole bedroom held only a dresser and a bed. She didn't much like the mustard yellow walls, but it wasn't like the whole apartment was that sickly color.

"Maybe Takahashi-san would help me paint over it later...or at least give me permission" She said to herself

The rest of the day went pretty well for Ruki. She stocked her bare cupboards and refrigerator. It was getting close to dusk and she walked around the neighborhood to get an idea of her new neighborhood.

On her walk she ran into Ryo again...or rather he ran into her.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" Ruki yelled.

"Hey, Ruki-chan. Sorry about that."

"Must you keep sneaking up on me Ryo?"

"I just want to add some excitement to your life is all." He said jokingly. "So did you find some place to stay yet?" 

"Yeah. In fact, I was just heading back there."

"That's good...I mean, that you found a place."

"Like I'm going to believe that." She laughed.

"Did you know you have a beautiful laugh?"

Rika could only blush.

"Is the great Digimon Queen blushing?"

"Shut up." She said punching him, but not all that hard. "I'm leaving. And don't follow me home. You'd only be a fool to think I'd let you in.

"Well, I'd rather be a fool than an idiot any day."

"And why is that?"

"It's simple. A fool knows what lies ahead and goes for it anyway. An idiot just doesn't know any better."

"Whatever."

"See you later Ruki. Oh and...I'm sorry about your mother."

"Eh? What about my mother?" She said turning quickly around.

"You didn't see the news?"

"N-no. I've been running around all day." She said nervously.

"The police found you're mom in the parking lot of the hospital in Shinjuku early this morning. "She's dead." Ryo said sadly. 

Ruki's eyes got wide

**__**

To be continued...

-----------------------

Yes I realize that Kai is Takato's cousin...I knew it from the start, so I don't want to get any replies asking if it was the same one or if I realized it...but please do reply!


	2. Everything's Gonna be OkayIt has to be

A/n: I experienced writer's block during the last third of this chapter (even with an outline for the fic), which is why this chapter has taken so long to be put up. College, a job, and a touch of laziness are also to blame. I will try to put the following chapters more quickly. 

Also, thank you to all of you that reviewed. And yes, Ruki and Rika are the same person. I'm just using the Japanese names.

****

Chapter 2: Everything's Gonna be Okay...It has to be

"She's dead," Ryo said sadly. 

"What?!" Ruki cried

Rain started to fall.

"I saw it on the news, and I thought that maybe I could find you. I think whoever it was that killed my dad killed your mom, because, like him, her index finger was cut off. The worst thing for a person is to be alone when they find out something this big. Believe me, I know."

Ruki could only stare ahead of herself in shock. She didn't even do anything when Ryo wrapped his arms around her. 

"The last thing I ever said to her was part of an argument," she sobbed.

"It's okay. It's okay." He whispered to her and rubbed her back, as the world around them darkened. "Ruki-chan, if you want you can stay with Kai and me for tonight. I'm sure he won't mind."

"I-I couldn't do that to you guys," she said softly.

"I insist. Come on." He urged.

When Ruki didn't answer he put his arm around her shoulders in an attempt to lead her to the house.

"Don't touch me!" She screamed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know you didn't like to be touched, especially from your reaction a few minutes ago."

"It's not your fault. I-I'm just a little--you know--apprehensive about all this. I mean who'd want to kill my mother?" She said as they walked on towards Kai's house.

Only a minute later it started pouring. They didn't reach the house about five minutes later, and they were both soaked.

Ryo left Ruki in the living room as he went to get some towels.

"Here." He said handing her a towel and some clothes.

She stared at the items he'd given her.

"You'd better not be thinking that I'm going to change in front of you."

"Not at all. You can change in the bathroom. It's the first door on the left down that hallway," he told her.

"Ryo..."

"Yes?"

"Thanks," she blushed.

"You're welcome," He answered, and headed to his room to get changed.

Ryo had finished getting changed before Rika did and flopped on the couch to watch TV. Ruki came out not much later and Ryo looked over the back of the couch at her. The clothes were too big for her and it looked like she could get lost in them.

"Where did you get these? They're way too big."

"I can't really help it that I'm bigger than you; besides you don't look too bad."

"I'm wearing **your** clothes!?"

"Point? Listen, Kai's more your size and I would've gotten you something of his, except his room is locked."

"It would be," she grumbled and flopped down on the other end of couch.

"Oh, cheer up Ruki-chan. If it makes you feel any better your clothes will probably be dry by morning."

"Why not just throw them in the dryer?"

"Broken."

The two of them sat staring at an infomercial about some kind of 'knife that could cut through anything' playing on TV for a while. Which reminded Ryo of something he had to tell Ruki.

"On the news they put out a bulletin to find you. They think that you did it."

"What?!" She nearly screamed, then calmed a little, "you don't actually think I did it...do you?"

He mockingly studied her thoroughly, and leaned close to her, and whispered his response to her.

"I don't see any thing in you that would want to kill anyone...but you never know. Maybe if I were to..." he said and, like a snake striking, planted a kiss on her cheek, then jumped off the couch. "...do something like that..."

"I'll get you for that!" She growled and chased after him.

Their playful chase lasted for a while, and they collapsed on the floor, too tired to get up.

"When I...catch my breath...we'll finish this." Ruki panted.

"If...we must." Ryo responded likewise.

But they fell asleep before they could.

Kai came home about an hour later and saw them lying on the floor, asleep. His eyes narrowed and he frowned.

"That's **another** thing you have that I don't." He mumbled to himself and left the two of them lying there

The next morning, Ruki found herself laying on something warm and comfortable Or it was until she realized that that 'something' was Ryo's chest, and his arms were wrapped around her. She quickly got up, which woke Ryo.

"Huh? Oh good morning Ruki-chan." He yawned.

Ruki just scowled and went to see if her clothes were dry so she wouldn't have to wear his anymore.

"Not a morning person, I guess." Ryo said to himself and headed off to the kitchen.

He stopped at a door and knocked.

"Kai!" He called.

Various crashes and curses were heard as well as a dead-bolt lock being undone. The door opened a little and a boy with long dark hair peered out through the crack in the door.

"What is it?" Kai asked annoyed.

"Aren't you going to get up?"

"Is it before noon?"

"Um, yeah."

"Then no." Kai answered then closed and locked the door again.

Ryo had finished making some breakfast when Ruki walked in.

"Hungry?" He asked her.

"No, I'll just eat something at home. Thanks for letting me stay here." She said and handed him the clothes he'd let her wear.

"Anytime Ruki-chan."

Ruki slowly walked along the rain-soaked streets toward her apartment. She stopped a couple times because she thought someone was following her, but no one ever was, and whenever she walked past people she'd hear people whispering.

As she neared her building she saw several police cars with their lights flashing, and she remembered what Ryo had told her last night:

__

"On the news they put out a bulletin to find you. They think that you did it."

She suddenly realized why everyone had been whispering as she'd been walking past. They thought she was going to kill them, and now the police were waiting for her to come out of her apartment.

She started to back away, when she noticed something swinging on the light pole by her apartment window, and gasped when she realized what it was. 

Takahashi-san hanging by his own intestines, which were wrapped around his neck. She could only stare as the body swung back and forth. His fat face was drained of all color and his face was frozen in horror. She also noticed that one of his fingers was missing...just like her mom and Ryo's dad!

Ryo had turned on the TV and saw a report of another murder.

"Last night around midnight Takahashi Shiro was murdered last night. Many of the inhabitants of the building and a few bystanders saw Makino Ruki enter the building before the murder took place, and leave afterwards..."

"What? That can't be! Ruki-chan was here the whole night, she never left! I have to find her and tell her before it's too late!" He said and raced out of the house.

A nearby policeman looked back at the crowd that had formed around the building and saw Ruki standing there. He almost immediately recognized her from the pictures the whole force had been shown. He faced her and pointed his gun at her.

"Freeze! You're under arrest!" He said

Ruki looked his way for a moment and decided to run for it. She pushed her way through the crowd and the man ran after her.

She ran as hard as she could, but her strength giving out. She tripped over a slab uneven sidewalk and fell into someone, sending them both to the ground. She was trying to get back up quickly until she heard him speak.

"I was out to catch you...but not like that."

"Ryo!"

"Come back here!" The police officer that was chasing her called.

"Come on, we have to get you out of here." Ryo said.

He pulled her into a doorway, and the man passed them. When they knew he was far enough away, the two of them made their way to the park.

"How did you know to find me?" She asked as they walked through the park.

"I had the TV on and a report came on talking of a murder. It said people saw you go in and out of the building after the murder around midnight last night."

"But I was with you."

"I know. That's what tipped me off. I wonder who would want to murder people in your name. Any ideas?"

"No," she replied then sighed. "Now what am I going to do? If I go back to my apartment, the police will arrest me because they think I murdered my mom and Takahashi-san."

"Hey, like I said before, you can stay with Kai and me."

"No. If the police found me there, then both of you'd be arrested for helping me. I couldn't possibly let that happen."

"Ruki-chan, I don't care," Ryo said angrily, then calmed down. "You're my friend...but I wish we could be more than that."

He opened the door to the house, and went in. Ruki stopped in the doorway.

"What are you saying?" Ruki asked.

"Uh, nothing," Ryo blushed.

"Like I believe that." Ruki said pushing her way in the house.

"Well, what I meant to say was...um...how about we play a game to pass the time."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, pick something."

She thought for a moment.

"Do you still have your digimon cards? Because if you do, I know something we can play."

"Of course I do. They remind me of Cyberdramon. Why would I throw them out," He answered. "Oh. I get it you want to Card Battle me."

"Yep, but there's a slight twist to it. I call it 'Strip Card Battle.'"

"What?!"

"Why not? It'll be fun. Each round you lose, you lose an item of clothing. And let me tell you something; I ain't gonna lose." She smiled.

"Do we have to play that?"

"You're the one who told me to choose something. Now go get your cards."

Ryo groaned as he went off to get them.

When he came back he found Ruki with her cards set up and one of her socks off.

"To even the odds," she answered when she saw him staring at her oddly; "I wouldn't want to win just because I had one more thing on because I started with more."

Ryo had lost both of his socks and Ruki had lost her remaining sock.

"Shoot! Oh, well. Rules are rules." She said starting to take her shirt off.

His eyes got wide. It wasn't that he didn't like certain parts of females, as most guys did, but Ruki was his friend...

"That's it! I quit." He yelled blushing.

"Huh? Why?"

"I-I just don't think it's right. Put your shirt back on, please."

"What? I thought you said something about wanting to be more than friends..." She said innocently.

"You heard me say that?!..." He said blushing a deeper red. Ruki just smiled. 

"I just want to know you better before I see...you know." Ryo continued.

"I know. I just wanted to scare you a little." She said pulling her shirt back down, and started laughing.

Later after things had calmed down, they were sitting there watching TV.

"Hey, Ryo, can I use your phone to call my grandma?"

"Go ahead. The cordless should be right in the kitchen."

"Thanks." She said and called the hospital room where her grandma was staying.

"Hello?" Answered Seiko, Ruki's grandma.

"It's me grandma." Ruki responded.

"Ruki, where are you?!" 

"With a friend. Don't worry about me. Are you okay?"

"As well as can be expected with my daughter murdered, and my granddaughter suspected of doing it."

"I didn't do it grandma."

"If you say so."

"No, really. I didn't! Listen, I really have to get going."

"Okay Ruki. Be a good girl."

"I will. 'Bye"

"'Bye."

Ruki hung up and Seiko slowly hung up as well, as she looked over at the police officers in her room. A tear ran down her cheek.

"I'm sorry Ruki," she whispered to herself, "it's for your own good."

"Did we get a trace?" A female officer asked another officer.

"The call originated about a half-mile from the west side of the park in Kochi. In this region." He said drawing a circle on the map.

"Notify the police there, that we have a warrant for her arrest. Make sure to tell them to bring her into custody and we'll take care of her after that."

**__**

To be continued...


	3. Complications

For the person who asked who Takahashi-san was...apparently I didn't make it clear enough. He was the guy that gave Ruki her apartment.

****

Chapter 3: Complications

"Hello? This is the Kochi police station. How may I help you?" An officer sitting at the front desk of the Kochi Police Station.

"Yes, well this is Police Chief Kuro from Shinjuku. There's a girl by the name of Makino Ruki in your city-"

"We know of her. In fact she was seen by many witnesses killing a citizen here. We're looking for her at this moment."

"We suspect her of murdering two other people as well and have a warrant for her arrest. Anyways, we traced a phone call from her originating from west of Kochi Park, and if you help us capture her we'd be very grateful."

"Very well. We'll post a bulletin for her on TV. Someone will come forward and report her exact whereabouts."

"Before I let you go, I have a question to ask you. The man that she killed, was one of his index fingers missing?"

"Y-yes there was...how did you-"

"It seems to be her trademark. Were any long hairs found on his body?"

"Yes. We have them cataloged away for when we catch her so we can run a DNA match against her."

"I'm going to send an officer over to Kochi to check it against the hairs we have."

"Ah! Good idea! I'll be waiting for him, and perhaps we'll have caught her by then."

The next day, Ruki and Ryo were watching the news on TV when an emergency announcement appeared on the screen.

"This is a Breaking News Bulletin...Police are searching for the whereabouts of Makino Ruki. She is being held responsible for the recent murder of Takahashi Shiro and two other murders in Shinjuku. Police are looking for concerned citizens who know where she is hiding..." 

Ruki looked over at Ryo.

"I won't let them get you." He said.

She smiled at him until a slightly fuzzy security video started playing on the screen. A figure in a long coat and long hair pulled back in a ponytail. The figure pulled out a knife and the whole murder of Rumiko was played out before her eyes on TV.

The announcer continued speaking. "...Police have released the footage, shown here, from a security camera in the Shinjuku Hospital parking lot where she killed her own mother...We now return you to this station's originally scheduled programming."

"Hey Ryo we're outta food!" Kai said coming into the room.

Ryo quickly turned off the TV, and he and Ruki both turned around.

"Oh. Was I...interrupting...something?" He asked

"No. We were just watching TV." Ryo said.

"Who is she? She looks...familiar."

Ruki fidgeted a little.

"Well Kai, she's a friend of mine, and she's been staying here lately due to...problems...at her apartment. You probably saw her around here."

"No, that's not it...Wait! Didn't I see your picture in a fashion magazine?" Kai asked Ruki.

Ruki sighed in relief, and smiled a little.

"Probably. I've done some modeling like that with my mother." She said.

"Cool. Would you give me your autograph, since you're here?"

"I guess so."

"Great! I'll go get the magazine." He said and went off to his room to get it.

"Ryo. Talking to him gave me a really weird feeling," Ruki whispered to Ryo once Kai was gone.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"It's probably nothing...forget I said anything."

"Here it is!" Called Kai as he ran back into the room waving about a page that had been ripped from a magazine.

He practically shoved the page and a pen into Ruki's hands. She stared at him for a moment then quickly scribbled her name and handed it back to him.

"Thanks. I'll treasure it and put it on my Wall of Fame." He smiled and left out of the room again.

She felt a shiver run down her spine. There was something about him that rubbed her the wrong way, but she couldn't put her finger on why...

Kai came back into the room and started out the door, but stopped 

"I'm gonna go to the store. Wanna come with?" He asked the two of them.

"Why not." Ryo said and went with him.

"I'd better stay here." Ruki said and bid them a safe trip as they left.

Ryo and Kai headed off to the store and picked up some food. As they were headed back Ryo's attention was attracted by a window display from a clothing store.

"Kai, I need to stop in here." Ryo said.

"A woman's clothing store?" Kai asked and looked at Ryo strangely.  
"I want to get something here...for Ruki-chan."

"Okay...Who's Ruki?"  
"The girl that's staying with us."

"Heh heh. Should've known that." 

So the two of them went in the store to get something for Ruki.

They came out an hour later with only two shirts, a pair of pants and a hat. With the few items they had, plus the groceries from before this stop they went back to the house.

Even if they had run back they would've been too late to save Ruki...

Not even twenty minutes after Kai and Ryo left Ruki was summoned to the door by loud pounding.

She'd been taking a bath when it happened.

"Hold on! Let me get dressed!" She yelled pulling her clothes back on.

Yet the pounding continued. 

"I said hold on!" She cawed.

"You boys need to learn a little patience or put some of the bags down first-." She started lecturing as she opened the door.

Instead of Kai and Ryo standing there with full hands she saw a couple police officers standing there.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I thought you were my friends."

"Clearly we're not." One of the officers stated clearly annoyed.

"Are you Makino Ruki?" The other asked.

Ruki realized for the first time why they were there.

"It's her alright," answered another officer which she hadn't seen at first. "I would know."

She'd seen him somewhere before and studied him a moment longer. Then it hit her; he was the officer who'd chased her yesterday.

"W-what's this all about?" Ruki stuttered.

"Don't pretend to be so stupid. You know why were here." The first officer stated.

"You're under arrest for the murder of Takahashi Shiro." The second officer said pulling her out of the house, causing her to knock over a lamp by the door.

"I didn't kill him!"

"Tell that to the judge when you see him." The first officer said snapping a pair of handcuffs on her.

"But what about being innocent until proven guilty?!" Ruki cried as they pushed her into the back of the police car.

"You've already been proven guilty. People saw you do it." The second officer said casually as he got in the police car.

"See you back at the station Kenichi." The first officer said getting in the car Ruki was in.

"Yep." Kenichi said and walked away.

The car started down the road and the two officers chatted about how easy it was to catch her compared to what everyone had thought

Ruki heard none of it as she was deep in thought.

When Ryo and Kai were down the street from the house, Ryo instantly knew something was wrong. He dropped the bag he was carrying and ran to the door. It was hanging wide open and the lamp by the door was broken to bits.

"Ruki! Ruki!" He called as he ran through the house, but deep in his heart he knew where she was.

Ryo reached the front door again and found Kai standing there half-smiling.

"Y-you know something about this don't you!" Ryo said angrily.

"I knew I'd seen her somewhere before, and it wasn't just from that magazine. I saw her on the TV before you switched it off. When I went to get that page, I actually went to call the police, and then just ripped it out of the magazine I'd been reading."

"H-how could you?! She's innocent!"

Kai only smiled broader.

"She's a criminal, and she's got you wrapped around her little finger. If you didn't love her-"

"I do not love her!" Ryo blushed

"Pah! Then why are you blushing? It's so obvious." Kai then headed out of the room. "By the way, unless you want glass in your foot I suggest picking up the broken lamp."

Ryo could only stare after his cousin with anger and hatred.

"How could you turn her in?" He asked no one and left the lamp on the floor as he left the house.

It didn't take Ryo more than twenty minutes to reach the police station.

"Excuse me, sir." Ryo said to the man sitting behind the desk.  
"Hmm?" The man grunted.

"A friend of mine was recently arrested, and I wish to post bail for her."

"Name?"

"Makino Ruki."

"No bail."

"What? There has to be!"

"What part of 'no' don't you understand boy. She killed three people. She stays in jail until her trial."

"Oh...Can I please visit her then?"

The man looked Ryo over.

"Come with me." The man answered.

He led Ryo through two checkpoints where he was scanned with metal detectors, then to a room with a wall. A panel of clear plastic with a few small holes in it had been placed in the wall to allow prisoners and visitors to talk. There was a desk by the glass and a steel chair behind it.

"Wait here." The man grunted and went to the back of the room.

Ryo sat down and did as he'd been told. A few minutes later a guard and Ruki entered the room. She ran to the window.

"You get five minutes." The man said.

"Ryo! You don't know how happy I am to see you. Tell them! Tell them I didn't do it!" She pleaded.

"I'm not sure it'd help. Besides we only have a few minutes to talk."

He could see tears in her eyes.

"Don't leave me here. For all that is holy, don't leave me here!" She pleaded.

"One more minute." The guard on Ruki's side of the room said.

"May I give her a note? I was afraid we wouldn't have enough time to say all that needed to be said, plus it's kinda personal, so I wrote her a note." Ryo asked the man on his side of the room.

Ryo gave the man the note, and he read it. He smirked, then nodded and placed it in a drawer in the wall so Ruki could have it.

She opened the drawer on her side and took it. She didn't even get a chance to read it as she was led out of the room by the guard on her side of the room. She kept her eyes locked on Ryo's in hopes she'd find some kind of hidden message, but found none.

Once back in her cell she opened the note and read it. The note read:

Ruki-chan,

I'm sorry I can't do much to help you. Ruki, I'm not sure how long I can last with out you, my love. Please forgive me for not doing more. I love you, and I believe you. I always will. God bless you, Honey. Hopefully we'll be able to get married soon.

Hugs and kisses,

Ryo

"What kind of crap is this?! I'm going to kill that punk...why would he give this to me unless..." Ruki said confusedly, and read it again.

The second time through she noticed that some of the letters were underlined.

"Ryo, you're lucky the guard didn't look at this more closely, or he would've read your message 'Coming midnight'." She whispered to herself, and hid the note in her bra so the guards wouldn't find it.

Ruki sat on her bed waiting for the appointed time to come. While she waited, she wondered how he'd do it, and if it would work.

**__**

To be continued...


	4. A Time for Action!

****

Chapter 4: A Time for Action!

"May I help you?" the Kochi police chief asked as a man younger than himself came into his office.

"I'm officer Yamaguchi from Shinjuku. I'm here with the DNA results from the hairs we found." 

"Ah! Good. Good. Let me see it."

Officer Yamaguchi handed it to the older man.

"Is this some kind of joke?!"

"W-what do you mean."

"This doesn't say anything about whether it's hers or not."

"W-well first the DNA of the hairs you have need to be compared to the results of the ones we have, then against a DNA sample directly from her."

"Is that so?" The older man said. "All of our forensics guys have gone home for the night but I'll get someone on it right away."

"Alright then. My superiors will probably want to know your findings." Officer Yamaguchi said and left.

Midnight drew closer and Ruki grew more apprehensive.

"I hope whatever he has planed works," she said to herself as she paced around her cell.

She looked around to make sure that no one had heard her, but in the dim cell-block it was hard to see anything, and the setting sun only helped make it dimmer.

Ruki sat on the bed in her cell and pulled her knees to her chest.

"I hope he hurries." She whispered, then waited for the appointed hour.

Ryo on the other hand was busy on the computer back at Kai's house.

"Ha ha ha! You aren't as smart as you thought." Ryo laughed out loud as he successfully hacked into the police station's database.

He leaned back in the chair as he scanned though the various programs.

"Hmm. This is going to be more difficult than I thought." He said to himself as he started typing away on the keyboard.

Kai stood watching him work away from the doorway.

"It looks like I'm going to have to take matters into my own hands." Kai smirked and walked away to his room.

It was just after midnight when Ryo reached the police station. He looked around for the guard that the schedule he'd hacked into said there'd be. He caught sight of him, quietly snuck up on him, knocked the him out.

"I'm sorry," Ryo said to the unconscious man as he dressed in his clothes, "but this is something I have to do."

Once dressed, Ryo entered the station.

"Hey, you!" A heavy set man bellowed as soon as he had. "Go check cell-block C."

Ryo nodded in response and went towards the cell-blocks. After passing through cell-blocks A and B he reached C. He knew that Ruki was in this cell-block somewhere.

He walked along the cells until he came across one that held a single teenage girl. He pulled out the keys that had been in the pants pocket and unlocked the door.

Ruki looked up and saw someone standing there. The man made a motion with his hand to come with him, which was a bit difficult to pick out at first. She reluctantly walked over to him. As soon as she was next to him they started forward across the cell-block.

"I-I didn't murder those people. Honest!" She pleaded.

"I know you didn't." He answered.

"Ryo!" She happily whispered.

"Yes, now hush." He hissed as they neared the entrance to the police station.

He poked his head through the door and saw the heavy-set officer yelling at another guy like an army sergeant.

Ryo pulled Ruki through the room quickly then outside.

"Hide while I change out of this." He harshly whispered.

Ruki ran off and he quickly threw off the uniform and pulled his own pants back on and grabbed his shirt.

"Ruki-chan! Ruki-chan!" He called after running in the direction he'd seen her go.

"Here." She answered and stepped out of her hiding place.

"Come on." He said and pulled her along.

"Hey where are we going?" Ruki asked when she realized that they weren't heading back to where he and Kai were staying.

"Your apartment."

"What!?"

"Kai's the one who called the cops on you."

"Why?"

"I've no idea. It'll only be a matter of time before they figure out you're gone. We need to find out who wants you framed for this."

"Ryo," Ruki said stopping, "Why are you helping me? What's your motive?"

Ryo stopped and looked back at Ruki.

"What do you mean? I want to help you...and I-I..." He said feeling himself blushing a little. He hoped she couldn't see it

"You...what?"

"I love you." He finally said.

"Don't--Don't help me anymore."

"Well I'm going to, no matter what. I'm the only one who believes you. You need me."

"I don't need anything from you. You just want sex when all of this is over." She said and started off on her own.

"Wait!" He said grabbing her arm, "I don't want that kind of thing from you. The only thing I would even ask you for would be for you to sing for me, even if it was just a verse. Please, let me help you."

She pulled her arm away from his grasp.

"Do whatever you want." She hissed and headed toward the building.

Ryo just smiled and followed her.

After the forensics people the police chief set on the DNA comparisons finished, and found them to be the same as the ones found in Shinjuku, an officer was sent to cell-block C to get a sample of blood from Ruki.

"Sir! Sir!" The officer called, "she's escaped somehow!"

"What?! How can that be?" The police chief asked in disbelief.

"I don't know, sir."

"Find her!" He barked at several officers standing nearby.

He turned to the man that brought the news.

"See if you can find anything in that cell to run DNA off of." The police chief said

The officer gave a quick bow and hurried off to see if he could.

The building had been evacuated since Takahashi-san had murdered a couple of days earlier, so it wasn't that hard to get into the building unnoticed.

"Which apartment is yours?" Ryo asked once they were inside.

"This one, number 21." Ruki said pushing the ajar door open the rest of the way.

"This place is a mess! Look at all the blood!"

"Whoever it was sure wasn't trying to hide trying anything."

"Why would they if they were trying to frame you?"

"True...Why don't you go check out those rooms, and I'll check this one."

"'Kay."

Ryo left to check for anything in the bedroom and the bathroom while Ruki looked around the living room/ kitchen area.

She didn't dare turn the lights on for fear that it would attract some unwanted attention. She pulled a flashlight from a kitchen drawer, and slowly scanned it's beam around the room.

Suddenly, something caught her eye. The light had found something the police had missed under the couch. She dropped to her knees and reached under to pull it out.

Just as she got it out from under the couch, a creaking floorboard caught her attention.

"Did you find something? I know I did." She said and turned around to find it wasn't Ryo she'd been talking to. "Y-you're not-"

"That's right." A voice from the doorway answered. "I'm the one that's been framing you, and now that you know, you're going to have to die now."

The murderer stepped into the lamplight that shone through the window.

"Y-you're the killer?!" She stuttered and backed up closer to the couch.

"That's right. And, by the way, thanks for fetching my knife for me. The police will have no reason not to think you committed suicide, now that your prints are all over it."

**__**

To be continued...

---------

What can I say? I love cliffhangers!


	5. Enter The Killer

****

Chapter 5: Enter the Killer

"Y-you're the killer?!" Ruki stuttered and backed up closer to the couch.

"That's right. And, by the way, thanks for fetching my knife for me. The police will have no reason not to think you committed suicide, now that your prints are all over it."

He bent down and picked up the knife.

"No, Kai! Don't!"

"What? Kill you? You are such a pathetic human." He snarled and held the knife tightly in his hand, blade pointed at her.

"Do you know what kind of knife this is? It's a hunting knife. My father gave it to me three years ago when I was fifteen. It doesn't do a bad job cutting through flesh and bone. In fact, let me show you!" He yelled bringing the knife down on her.

She heard someone yelling something, but she couldn't think about why as the knife came down on her

The knife's blade tore into her upper right thigh, and she could only scream, and she blacked out from the pain.

Ryo had entered the room as Kai picked up the knife. 

"Do you know what kind of knife this is? It's a hunting knife. My father gave it to me three years ago when I was fifteen. It doesn't do a bad job cutting through flesh and bone. In fact, let me show you!" He heard him ask Ruki as he started to bring the knife down on her.

"Leave her alone you bastard!" Ryo yelled as he tackled Kai and pinned him down

The attack caused the blade to cut into her thigh rather than her stomach as Kai had aimed it.

"Always trying to be the hero, that's what I admire you for." Kai smiled and tried to escape Ryo's hold.

"Why are you trying to kill her?" Ryo yelled in Kai's face, as he held him down.

Kai only smiled as he wiggled out of Ryo's grasp. He stood up and went over to where Ruki was just regaining consciousness and pulled the knife from her leg. It's serrated edge caused more pain and she cried out again.

Kai ignored this and turned the blade towards Ryo.

"You just had to get involved!" He cried and charged him.

Ryo ducked out of the way and the knife got stuck in the wall.

"Kai! Stop it!" Ryo yelled at Kai as he attempted to pull the knife from the wall.

Ryo turned his attention to Ruki.

"Ruki-chan! You're bleeding! Are you alright?" He asked seeing her leg bleeding badly.

"I'm okay. Let's get out of here." She lied through the pain.

He proceeded to pick Ruki up when her cry stopped him.

"Ryo! Behind you!" She cried and Ryo spun around.

Kai had gotten the knife out of the wall and was running at Ryo again. Ryo slipped past Kai again, but this time was able to stop the knife before it came in contact with the wall and chased after him.

Ruki couldn't stand being useless and tried to get up, but the pain was too much. She looked around for some way she could help Ryo.

Her eyes landed on her Lightning Lamp* and she got an idea. She pulled it off of the end table and held it in her hands to debate how to use it on him.

Ryo tripped over the coffee table and fell to the ground. Kai took the opportunity to try getting Ryo again, but he ended up falling on top of Ryo.

Ruki had taken the lamp and smashed it hard against Kai's knee, blowing it out. The lamp broke sending pieces of glass-like plastic flying. Kai fell on top of Ryo and the knife skidded away.

Ryo pushed a cursing Kai off of him.

He looked over to Ruki, who was still on the floor.

"Thanks, Ruki-chan."

Ruki nodded and looked over at Kai who was reaching for the knife.

"What are we going to do with him?" She asked

"Call the cops and tell them that we caught the killer while I make sure he doesn't cause any more trouble." Ryo said tossing her his cell phone, then pinning Kai down with his knee in the back.

The officer who'd been sent to Ruki's cell returned to the chief's office.

"Did you find something?" The forensics specialist next to the chief asked.

"Yes." He replied and handed the man a small plastic bag.

The man looked at it then looked the officer straight in the face.

"This hair is red."

"Yes, she has red hair."

The specialist looked over at the police chief.

"She isn't the murderer...in any of the cases."

"What? Aren't you going to test it to be sure?"

"The hairs found on the bodies had dark brown hairs on them; the girl has red hair. It couldn't have been her. I don't need to test it to know that."

The phone on the desk rang.

"Kochi Police Satiation. Police Chief--" the man started

"We caught the killer." A girl's voice on the other end interrupted.

"Who is this?"

She hesitated for a moment.

"...Makino Ruki."

"What?"

"I'm not calling to turn myself in. Nor do I have any intention of telling you I killed them, because I didn't do it."

"We know."

"Then why did you arrest me?"

"We found out only a moment before you called. You say you have the killer?"

"Yes. I'm assuming you know where the apartment I rented is located."

"That we do."

"Then you know where we've got him."

The phone clicked off and the police chief hung up the receiver.

"Who was it?" The officer asked curiously.

"A lead on the real murderer. Get a couple of squads around. We're heading to the last crime scene."

Ryo stood staring at Kai, who he'd tied to one of the chairs in the kitchen while Ruki had called the police. Ruki limped over to Ryo.

"They're on their way." She said.

"Good. Ruki sit down. I'll put a compress on your leg."

"I'm fine." She snapped using the counter to help keep her balance.

"You know," Kai interrupted, "there's nothing that can prove _I_ did it."

"Well there's your knife...with your name engraved on it-"

"No it isn't!"

"I saw it myself as you picked it up."

Kai cursed something inaudible under his breath.

"Well," He smirked, "I could always say you stole it, and they'll believe it because you escaped from jail." 

"Is that so?" Ruki asked. "What do you think, Officer?"

Kai looked behind him the best he could to find five policemen and the police chief standing behind him.

"It wouldn't hold up, boy. Especially if your DNA matches the samples that were left behind at the crime scenes. That's the nice thing about DNA testing."

Kai angrily gritted his teeth as several police officers dragged him away.

"Makino-san we're sorry about accusing you of all this." The police chief apologized.

"It's okay."

"Could I question him first?" Ryo asked, "I need answers."

"I guess I could arrange it. Who are you anyways?" The heavy-set man asked the twenty-year-old.

"He's Ryo Akiyama," Ruki spoke up. "the only person in the world who believed enough in my innocence to help me. Now you're gonna let him question Kai first." Ruki half threatened.

"Fine, but we'll be monitoring the session."

During the questioning Kai revealed many things, including why he did it. Kai had been put in a straitjacket to keep him from attacking Ryo.

"Why did you try to blame killing those people on Ruki-chan?" Ryo asked

"It wasn't the intended purpose at first. It was a perk." Kai smirked

"How exactly?"

"I hadn't intended on killing her mother, I thought I was killing yours."

"My mother's been dead for several years. Why did you kill my father?"

"To get you to come to me. I've wanted to meet you for years. With your parents dead and no other family nearby I thought you'd come to me, and I was right."

"Then why did you kill that other man?"

"The two of you were getting to...close. I needed to get rid of her."

"Why?"

"Once she came, she took everything I'd ever wanted."

"What do you mean?"

"She had you. Heart and soul. That's how _I_ wanted you."

"Excuse me?"

"If she'd wanted to sleep with you, you know you would've done it."

"That's not how I meant it. I meant it as 'You thought I was gay?'"

"Whatever. If she hadn't shown up I would've made you."

"You're a sick-minded little bastard!" Ryo shouted and left the room.

Kai only sat there smiling at his reflection in the two-way mirror.

That confession, which the police on the other side of the mirror had been videotaping the whole conversation the two of them had had, along with DNA testing, landed Kai in jail for life. It also helped that they found the missing fingers that were missing from the victims in his room.

***

"Welcome to Hit Beat on MNN, the Music News Network. On today's show we're interviewing Makino Ruki, known to most of you as Ruki-chan." the show's hostess, Mima, announced.

"Hi everyone!" Ruki added.

"All week we've held a poll to find out the top five things that the viewers and your fans want to know. The fifth thing people, or rather your male fans, want to know is if you're seeing anyone."

Ruki laughed a little.

"Yeah...kind of. In fact I dedicated my first album to him, Ryo Akiyama. It's because of him that I was able to do it."

"Really? So in other words, boys, she's taken." Mima said half-sympathetically to the camera. She then turned back to Ruki. "Number four: What inspired you to write your hits _Moon Fighter_?"

"What the song is about is how I used to live when I was younger. I wasn't the friendliest person in the world back then, then again most of my more serious fans would've known that."

"That's interesting. Now question three: Is there a full-length album for you in the future?"

"Very possibly, but not right away. After all, my first single just came out a month ago, but I've signed a contract with AiM to do a remake of her song _Promise of the Setting Sun_."  
"You don't want people to get too tired of you too soon. Question two: Is there a music video planned for _Moon Fighter_?"

"Yes there is. In fact I've been told that it premieres tomorrow on this station."

"I can't wait to see it! Now, the most asked question is: Do you think that the fact that the fact that you were suspected of murder, then cleared of it, has anything to do with your fame? Do you think it helped that nearly everyone in Japan knew your name before you started singing had anything to do with the popularity of your single?"

"Maybe a little, but then again that was two years ago. Plus six years before that I had substantial fame as the 'Digimon Queen'. What I really think the reason that _Moon Fighter_ is so big is because people can relate to it. When music is played on the radio, first people listen for something they like, then for a name."

"That's quite an interesting theory on that."

The camera angle changed and Mima looked into the new camera.

"When we return, Ruki-chan will sing her hit single for us live!" Mima happily announced.

The screen suddenly went dark from being turned off.

A room full of inmates turned towards the door. All except for one.

"Kai." The officer at the door commanded.

The one who hadn't turned to look now did.

"It's time, Kai."

Kai stood and followed the man out of the room as the television was turned back on and the inmates went back to watching it.

For Kai though, he was taking a long walk down a mostly empty corridor...his last. He was being put to death today. For two years he had waited, in courtroom and cell, for this day.

"Do you have anything to say?" The executioner asked as they strapped him to the chair.

Kai looked into the room where mostly reporters sat, until he found the two he was looking for.

"I'd say I'm sorry," Kai said hoarsely, "but I'm not, and it's not like it would save me. I'm glad I killed them."

He sat there staring at Ruki, and Ryo, as the last preparations were being made for his death. He didn't twitch, at first, as the poisons were pumped into him. As his life faded he thought not about the after-life, for he didn't believe in heaven or hell, but in what his biggest mistake in his perfectly thought out plan was. 

He'd underestimated the power of love, friendship, and the unpredictability, all of which were the key to his undoing. He became aware of that point just as his life ended.

**__**

The End 

-----------------------

*A Lightning Lamp looks like a Lava Lamp, but instead of having globs of liquid rising and falling it is filled with gas and behaves like a Plasma Ball.

For those of you who don't know; AiM is Mimi's Japanese Voice Actor and sings most of the theme songs for the Japanese versions of Digimon.

This whole story didn't exactly turn out as I'd planned. I was hoping to have the murderer be a surprise like in Perfect Blue, which is what inspired me to write this, but I still like the way it turned out.

Thanks again to all of you who reviewed and all of you who stuck with me during the slowness of getting the chapters up.


End file.
